Morningside Recovery accused of unlicensed treatment.

avogadno's picture
Submitted by avogadno on Thu, 05/03/2012 - 17:56

Morningside Recovery has been in the news a lot in the last year. A young man died under their care and it appears as if they have been running sober living homes without a license and have been forced to shut some down. Provided services that you aren't licensed for has been going around for a lot of years. Many people seem to think they are qualified to give advice on this practice, despite the need for a special license. I'm glad they are cracking down on checking these places out. There has been too much injustice in the recovery industry.

Morningside Recovery accused of unlicensed treatment

5/3/12 The Orange County Registry
With the usual snipits.

"State regulators have accused a controversial alcohol and drug abuse recovery company of illegally operating eight sober living homes as drug and alcohol treatment facilities and advertising such services even though its licenses have been suspended.

The California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs sent cease and desist letters to Morningside Recovery on April 23 demanding they stop providing substance abuse recovery services at six facilities in Newport Beach and two in Costa Mesa or face fines of $200 per day per home.

The agency in November had suspended Morningside's licenses to operate three Costa Mesa drug treatment and recovery centers and set a permanent revocation hearing for this month. Among the charges levied by the state at that time was that Morningside was operating outside the scope of its licenses, had been careless with prescription drugs and was illegally using its sober living homes, which do not normally need a license, as drug treatment facilities.

Rupp said state investigators also found that Morningside had failed to report a patient death to the state. "It was determined that Morningside Recovery had admitted a client with an eating disorder, thereby operating beyond the scope of its license," Rupp told The Register. "Also, a client died while receiving services from Morningside Recovery. The department was not notified of the death, in violation of (their) reporting requirements."

Morningside has been at the crux of a contentious legal battle with Newport Beach officials who say the company has defied zoning rules and regulations. The company has also been sued by at least 10 patients or their families, most of the lawsuits stemming from various financial grievances.

The family of 20-year-old Brandon Jacques sued the company on March 29, alleging Morningside is partly responsible for their son's death.

Jacques was admitted to Morningside in March 2011 with bulimia and co-occurring alcoholism. His parents say the company's staff was aware his primary problem was bulimia but their son was not treated appropriately, according to the lawsuit.

He had been transferred from an Arizona sober living home to Morningside, the lawsuit said.

Complications of his eating disorder prompted Morningside staff to transfer Jacques to First House, a Costa Mesa rehab clinic. He died several days later of cardiac arrest, according to the lawsuit.

Other lawsuits accuse Morningside of charging for services never provided to the patients, failing to refund the money and other fraudulent practices."

Comments

JR Harris's picture

JR Harris

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 18:59

But other than that we offer:

World Class Recovery Facilities
Providing
- Psychiatric Stabilization
- Alcohol Treatment
- Addiction Treatment
- Mental Illness Treatment
- Dual-Diagnosis Treatment
- Outpatient Services

Source:http://www.morningsiderecovery.com/

I believe they are also in DENIAL

The Orange County Register reported in February that the company appeared to be continuing its drug rehab services despite the suspension of the licenses. At that time Morningside Chief Executive Officer Mary Helen Beatificato denied any wrongdoing and told the Register, "If we weren't supposed to be operating, somebody would be doing something about it."

After that story, regulators performed additional site visits and investigations, determining that the eight sober living homes "were operating as alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities without licenses in violation of ...the Health and Safety Code,'' according to Suzi Rupp, a spokesperson for the agency. The cease and desist orders were sent by certified mail on April 23, according to the documents.

Beatificato denied in an interview Thursday that the company is providing any substance abuse recovery treatment at the sober living homes and said the company does not plan to change the way it operates.

"We are absolutely not providing treatment in our homes and I'm confident in saying that," Beatificato said.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47286173/ns/local_news-orange_county_ca/t/mo...

Yup, sounds like Stepper with their heads in the sand. The next thing they are going to say is,"Let go and let God", read the "Big Book", get a sponsor and do "90 in 90!"

"Tradition 10 - Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the AA name ought never be drawn into public controversy." Please follow orders from the Interchurch Center if you are an AA member and don't comment.

avogadno's picture

avogadno

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 19:15

Apparently not, since a young man died under their care.

Pro Empowerment!
Truth about AA: http://orange-papers.org/menu1.html
Expose AA: http://www.expaa.org/

JR Harris's picture

JR Harris

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 19:24

http://www.morningsiderecovery.com/intervention/

Bothered by someone? Yeah that's the ticket, tell us where they are, and we'll go get em! (applicable fees will be charged)

"Tradition 10 - Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the AA name ought never be drawn into public controversy." Please follow orders from the Interchurch Center if you are an AA member and don't comment.

DeConstructor's picture

DeConstructor

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 19:23

To quote Elwood Blues 'We're on a mission from god'

causeandeffect's picture

causeandeffect

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 19:47

"We are absolutely not providing treatment in our homes and I'm confident in saying that," Beatificato said.

Technically speaking, if they are providing 12 steps they aren't providing treatment.

Troll free AA critical forum
http://www.expaa.org/

"The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it." ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson

disclosure

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 20:25

A good friend of mine died in a sober living house, he overdosed with mouthwash and his meds. I remember a few days before he died, he came over to my house and threw up some Listerine he had been drinking, it really stank. I tried to get him help outside AA but he refused, he had been in and out of the rooms for the better part of ten years and would not try anything else. He told me that he believed AA was the only thing that could work for him, AA members told him so for years, now he is dead and we will never know. I was his best friend so as far as his mom was concerned his death was my fault.

Another friend went out after 14 years; he had sex with a younger AA gal and fell in love. She was the type who had sex with many, heartbroken he drank. He just couldn’t take the blow of loosing all that tenure so he couldn’t get any time after that. He posed with a bottle of wine and a steak for his suicide just like in the BB story, that’s how I found him.

Another in the same boat as me, objecting to AA nonsense, blew his brains out completely sober. The gal he loved in AA dropped him, she found him in his bloody mess so I imagine she is having a much tougher time than me recovering from the horror.

Lastly there was a buddy from a meeting who no one could talk to on that last day. I remember the blank stare he gave me at his last meeting just before he hung himself.

What is it they say in AA? Better him than me? Get a black outfit if you plan to stay long? There must be thousands like them maybe tens of thousands. To my mind they were let down. A loving God of their understanding was not enough.
It would be impossible for me to argue that any of this was AA’s fault if AA would make one simple change.

In the literature and readings people need to be told PLAINLY that there are many methods other than AA that may be effective in the treatment of chronic alcohol and substance abuse.

The omission of alternatives and tactics to keep people in AA for their own good are promotion. AA claims to be a program of attraction and not promotion, what they don’t tell you is that it’s also a program of omission.

Why not make all the help available? AA endorses people taking doctor prescribed medication and seeing psychologists, why do they discourage people from seeking other forms of help such as other programs? Lots of people love AA, why do those who don’t and can’t stop on their own need to die?

Brett

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 20:45

Thx for writing that up. I stopped counting the dead when I was still in rehab, less than 6mnths exposer & the number had surpassed 10, in the 10 yrs after that there where many more, 3 in my last 12mnths that really hurt, they where all mates of mine, they died pretty much as you said above, I found 2 of them. I will never forget, I will never stop being on A.A/12 steps case.

Brett

massive's picture

massive

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 23:35

dislcosure- I have heard some of your stories before on ST , but they never seem to cease to shock me. Im so sorry. I agree. There need to be warnings.

When I spoke at Keepers meeting for her I was speaking about other options and Smart etc, when a guy yelled out, well this is an AA meeting. Like he was inferring that I should shut up and keep to teh AA rhetoric , which I was Not GOing to DO!!!! And I said "Yea , and if you all really cared about helping the drunk you too would tell people when it was apparent that AA and the steps were NOT working you would pull them aside and Say,

"Hey man , did you know there are other ways to get sober. There is even moderation programs. Instead of saying mean and bullying remarks like ...

" Well did you do your 4th" How much service do you do ? DO you have any secrets? DO you have a sponsor? " All these things making the person feel like they are wrong. Mean while it's AA and it's stupid 12 steps and 12 traditions from 50 years ago.

These families should sue AA World Headquarters, for fraud and negligence.

Arent you in SO cal?

Massive

Brett

Thu, 05/03/2012 - 20:48

have a little sit on the pity pot & cry now.
fk the steps.
& fk the fkn trolls with their pro A.A.

Brett

avogadno's picture

avogadno

Fri, 05/04/2012 - 04:46

Who am I to try to run myself or anyone else?”

Alcoholics Anonymous, 1st ed. 1939, page 347.

Those are horrifying stories. I haven't heard the one, "Get a black outfit if you plan to stay long". It's true that addicts and alcoholics die in the "real" world too. But do we know them all? How many of them do we meet in rooms where we are all trying to recover? The significance of this is that dealing with the stress of losing a friend is traumatic, yet we experience it too often and without having the skills to deal with it appropriately.

What we are taught, and how these poor and undeserving lives get remembered, is that "THAT" is what happens if you don't do the steps. Their lives are offensively summed up as a person that is unwilling. It's a morbid view to take and a sardonic way to teach others to live.

Pro Empowerment!
Truth about AA: http://orange-papers.org/menu1.html
Expose AA: http://www.expaa.org/

JR Harris's picture

JR Harris

Mon, 06/25/2012 - 11:18

Melrose California neighbors come out in force over planned expansion of Sober Living homes in the area - 5/31/2012 http://orange-papers.org/forum/node/1756

"Tradition 10 - Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the AA name ought never be drawn into public controversy." Please follow orders from the Interchurch Center if you are an AA member and don't comment.